


The Winter’s Warmth (Bucky Barnes X Reader)

by ms_believer05



Category: Marvel, Marvel 616, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, The Falcon And The Winter Soldier (Marvel)
Genre: Angst and Romance, Avengers Feels, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Awesome Sam Wilson, Bucky Barnes & Sam Wilson Friendship, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Has Issues, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Bucky Barnes Remembers, F/M, Hydra (Marvel), Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Post-Endgame, Protective Bucky Barnes, Sam Wilson Is a Good Bro, Sam Wilson is So Done, Sam Wilson is a Gift, Sam Wilson is a Saint, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier - Freeform, Twisted and Fluffy Feelings, Winter Soldier Bucky Barnes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-10
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:33:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 8,591
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29953464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ms_believer05/pseuds/ms_believer05
Summary: A Bucky Barnes x reader story: You get to know Bucky Barnes after he saves you from a near death experience, and the two of you soon develop a relationship.(Ps. I’m co writing this with my friend who doesn’t have Ao3, so I can’t take all the credit for this,)
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Sam Wilson, James "Bucky" Barnes/Reader, Sam Wilson (Marvel) & Reader
Kudos: 27





	1. That Fateful Day

(Y/n) - Your name

(L/n) - Last name 

(F/v) - Favorite vegetable 

(E/c) - Eye Color

You headed out the door of your apartment building in Brooklyn, New York on a beautiful, spring afternoon. The sky above was sunny, without a cloud in the bright blue expanse overhead. As you walked down the street, the cars zooming by in classic Brooklyn fashion, you waved at a neighbor who was just coming in.

“Heya (Y/n)!” A kind and familiar elderly man greeted you with a smile as you passed him on the sideway. 

“Good Morning, Mr. Jones,” you smiled and continued on your way. As you neared the shopping square, you could feel that something was off in the atmosphere. You stood and watched for a second. People milled about around the fountain in the middle of the square, couples giggled with each other and families busily hopped from shop to shop. Nothing actually looked off or felt out of place, or too much so anyway (it was Brooklyn after all) so you shrugged the feeling off and headed toward the grocer's store on the far end of the square. But as you neared the entrance, you noticed a bunch of commotion around you. People all around were moving and yelling. 

Before you could understand what was happening, someone grabbed you from behind. An arm wrapped around your neck, and the barrel of a gun pressed into the side of your head. 

“Nobody moves, or she dies!” You heard your capturer harshly yell to the frightened citizens around you. You could tell the man holding you hostage was tall and buff, with strong arms clad in dark blue gripping you tightly. You wanted to scream, but you were too scared to move, and he was too strong to budge. With panic rising in your chest, you trembled with fear and felt tears swell up in your eyes and drip down your cheek. You didn’t even realize you were muttering your thoughts out loud until you felt the barrel of the gun being roughly jabbed into your head. 

" _ Omigosh, omigosh, I'm gonna die, I hope they do what he says-" _

“Shut up!” 

The man held you there for what felt like forever as he yelled out orders to people around you. Your legs felt weak and trembly, but he forced you to stand there, readjusting his grip on the pistol and pressing it harder into your temple. Your heart was pounding, and your chest felt tight; you had never been so scared in your life. It seemed like hours, but was probably only minutes, when you saw something in the sky. 

Was that a man? With wings? Was that possible? No. It couldn’t be. But was it the Falcon? Before you could figure out what was happening, your attention was drawn back to the ground where a man with a metal arm was running toward you and your capturer. 

The man shifted his grip around your neck as he turned to meet the newcomer, and you managed to duck free from his grasp just as the Falcon landed in front of him. You stumbled to the side, out of the way and watched as the next events unfolded, trying to catch your breath. The man raised his gun as if to shoot you, saw the Falcon lunging at him, and turned to run, but as he did he was face to face with the guy with the metal arm again. 

“You tryna go somewhere hotshot?” You heard the Falcon say. The man looked like he was gripped in fear, trying to find a way out. “You got nowhere to go, buddy.” The Falcon stepped closer, and finally the man surrendered, dropping the gun to the cement ground. 

“I got this from here, Bucky, go see if she’s okay.” You saw the Falcon give a nod in your direction, and the guy with the metal arm, Bucky, walked over to you. Why did he look familiar? You felt like you knew him from somewhere. 

“Hey, you alright, ma'am?” Bucky spoke in a soft voice, visually checking you for any injuries. You nodded, trying to collect your thoughts as you wiped the tears from your face. You studied this Bucky guy up and down, trying to figure out why he looked so familiar. He had short brown hair, blue-gray eyes, and a black metal arm with gold accents. To be honest, he was kinda cute. 

“I’m (Y/n), and yeah, yeah I’m good. Do I know you? 'Cause you look familiar,” you said to him as you caught your breath. He shook his head. 

“Probably seen me on tv or something,” he replied with a sigh and took another step closer while keeping an eye on his surroundings.

_ On tv?  _

Then it hit you. All the news reports from Germany, DC, Vienna, and more came flooding back to you. 

_ The Winter Soldier.  _

Wasn’t this guy known for over two dozen murders and assassinations? But...he seemed so nice? So civilized? After all, he did help save you from getting your brains blown out. For some reason you couldn’t explain, you felt like you could trust him. You felt this strange connection to him that you struggled to comprehend.

“Are...Aren’t you the Winter Soldier?” You cocked your head and waited for an answer, subconsciously taking a step backwards. Bucky seemed to notice, and his eyes washed over with a wave of sadness as he looked at the ground. 

“That’s not me anymore,” he replied in a voice just above a monotoned whisper. He sounded so… sincere, as though he felt like he would only be known as an identity that he didn’t live up to anymore. You slowly took a step forward to show him that you believed him. He must have noticed because he gave you a smirky grin. 

“You sure you’re alright?” Bucky asked again, meeting your tear stained eyes. You nodded in response.

“Yeah… yeah I’m good, I just…. it’s not everyday I face a near death experience.” You gave a slight chuckle, and Bucky smiled while his eyes sparkled. 

_ Oh man, that was a beautiful smile. _

“Well, I actually kind of have some experience in that area,” he murmured, gazing off. 

You weren't quite sure what he meant by that, so you shrugged and nodded. Noticing the rifle slung across his back, you gestured to it. “You a good shot?” you asked curiously. Bucky nodded as he scratched the back of his neck. 

“I mean, yeah. I was trained pretty intensely on the other side of the world for a while,” he replied in a soft tone. 

“Cool. My dad used to teach me how to shoot, just for fun as a hobby and stuff, but now he lives cross-country, so it’s kind of hard to get a lesson these days,” you said with a shrug. Bucky looked down at you, his blue-gray eyes staring straight into your (e/c) ones.

“I could give you a lesson sometime,” He said with a flirty grin. You nodded and replied, “Yeah, that would be nice. Well, I should get going, it was nice meeting you.” You smiled and started to walk away, but Bucky gently grabbed your arm. 

“Hey, before you go, if you need anything just let me know. Like I said, I've had some brushes with near-death experiences, I know… I know how that can feel.” 

He grinned, but for the slightest second his eyes seemed to glaze over and became empty. It was such a quick change you thought if you weren’t paying attention you were sure you would have missed it. 

“My name is Bucky, Bucky Barnes, by the way.” Bucky handed you a small piece of paper before he walked back to join his friend the Falcon. 

You looked at the small piece of folded crinkled paper in your hand. Deciding not to look at it just yet, you stuffed it in your coat pocket and made your way back to your apartment, all the while your thoughts kept trailing back to Bucky. 

  
  


~¥~

You entered your apartment on the second floor and shuffled to the worn gray couch up against the wall. You sat down and laid your head back, thinking about your eventful day. You hadn't gotten your (f/v) for the stirfry you were planning to have tonight, but you had somehow gotten yourself entangled in a hostage attempt. And that guy, Bucky? He actually seemed pretty cool. He didn’t look, act, or seem like a murderous assassin. He seemed really kind, soft, and sweet. Maybe he was really trying to right his wrongs. You knew what that was like. Well, maybe you hadn't murdered people, but there were other things you regretted. 

You slid your hand in your pocket and remembered the slip of paper Bucky had given you. Slowly, you pulled it out, wondering what was written inside. When you opened it, there was an address written on it with a red star drawn above. Bucky’s soft words and that special grin played themselves over in your mind. 

_ “I could give you a lesson sometime.”  _

You decided that you might just take him up on that offer. 


	2. Getting to Know You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You find Bucky's apartment and the two of you talk together, getting to know each other.

The next day, you walked up to another apartment building that was a couple of blocks away from yours. You found the apartment with the right number, all the while gripping the piece of paper from Bucky in your hand. Taking a deep breath, you knocked on the door. You heard some shuffling and yelling behind the door before it was answered. A tall, muscular guy dressed in red and gray answered the door. You recognized him as The Falcon. 

“Hey, can I help you?” he asked with genuine concern. His brown eyes look kind and soft but worn out. 

“Um, I’m looking for Bucky?” you murmured to the man, showing him the paper in your hand. He glanced at the paper, then met your eyes with a grin. 

“Give me a second.” The Falcon disappeared behind the door, and you heard shuffling. 

“Barnes! Someone’s at the door for ya! What did you do this time?” you heard the Falcon yell behind the closed door. 

“Can’t be anything worse than what you did, Wilson!” you heard another voice yell. 

There was some more shuffling before the door opened again, and there stood Bucky who looked like he just woke up. His brown hair was ruffled, his eyes looked glazed over, and there were dark circles under his eyes. 

_ He actually looks kinda cute.  _ You felt your cheeks warm as the thought crossed your mind.

He seemed to recognize you because upon seeing you, he ran a hand through his hair and over his face, seemingly trying to wipe his sleepiness away. 

“Oh, h-hey,” he said as he awkwardly tried to lean his metal arm against the doorway, but that didn’t seem to work for him so he dropped into a military-style relaxed position in the middle of the doorway. You gave a chuckle at his attempts. 

“Hi, I came for that shooting lesson you promised.” You smiled at him, and he nodded slowly as he seemed to realize what you meant.

“Oh… yeah.” He straightened his pose and ran a hand through his hair again. “Actually, I don’t think I can do it today, my friend and I have got some stuff going on. We’re waiting for a call, so we have to stay here. But you’re welcome to hang out for a bit anyway until we leave. I wouldn’t want you a gal like you to come all this way for nothing.” He grinned and took a step back, inviting you inside. You flashed him another smile as you accepted his invitation. 

As you stepped inside his apartment, you took in your surroundings. It was a fairly plain apartment, just with a couch on one wall, a tv on another, a small kitchen in the back, and a short hallway to the left, where you assumed were the bedrooms. 

“Oh, Barnes, you got a pretty girl today?” The Falcon came back into view from the hallway with a smirk on his face. You rolled your eyes as Bucky shut the door. 

“Sam, this is the girl from yesterday, from that fight in the market, (Y/n),” Bucky explained. You nodded, gazing back and forth between Sam and Bucky. 

“Oh okay, sweet. Well, the name's Sam Wilson, and if you need anything, I’ll be right down the hall. I gotta do some tinkering on my pack. Have fun with your friend, Buck.” Sam winked at Bucky before he turned on his heel and headed down the hall. Bucky focused back on you, a grin tugging at his lips. 

“So um do… would you like some… uh.. milk?” Bucky slowly asked, awkwardly sticking his hands in his pants pockets. “Sorry, it’s all we have right now… mainly cause  _ somebody  _ forgot to go to the store, Wilson!” He glanced down the hall to make sure his partner heard him. 

“I have other things to do, Barnes!” You heard the Falcon’s voice from down the hall. “I don’t have time to go around shopping!” Bucky rolled his eyes, then focused back on you and waited for you to answer his question.

“Uh, yeah sure, I’ll take some milk,” you replied sheepishly, watching as Bucky walked to the kitchen and grabbed two glasses out of the cabinet. He glanced back awkwardly at you, opening his mouth, and then closing it quickly again.

_ Man has zero conversation skills, y _ ou sarcastically thought to yourself as Bucky seemed to struggle with what to say next. Before he could spit anything else out, you continued the conversation. 

“So, where are you from?” you asked as you slipped into a chair at the kitchen table. Bucky set the full glasses of milk on the table and slid into the chair across from you. 

“Brooklyn,” he answered with a sense of pride. His blue-gray eyes flicked over to you, the same question written in their expressive depths.

“Same here,” you said, nodding back as you took a sip of milk. “I...I never thanked you for saving me yesterday, so thank you.” You met Bucky’s eyes with a smile as he nodded. 

“Yeah, no problem. Part of the job.” 

There was another silence as you finished the milk. Bucky fiddled with his black and gold metal arm and stared at the wall. You stared curiously at it, wondering where he had gotten it, and the story behind it.

"Sorry, it's just been a while that I met someone new...like you," Bucky said, breaking the stillness. "I-it's just been a while since I've hung out with civilians."

He glanced back at you, a smile flickering on his lips. You gazed at him, feeling strangely connected in a way you'd never felt with any other person.

"You look confused, what is it?" he asked, meeting your eyes.

Slightly startled, you asked the first thing that came to mind.

“I was just wondering what the deal was with your metal arm?” You gave a nod to his prosthetic. “I mean, it’s very cool don’t get me wrong, but it’s just kinda…odd.” 

Bucky glanced at his arm sadly as his blue-gray eyes clouded over for a second. Then they focused back on you, and he spoke in a dead, quiet voice.

“I was um… in an accident. I fell…I fell down a cliff, and it took my arm with it. I thought I was a goner for sure.” His cloudy gaze dropped to the table, and you had no doubt in your mind that he was reliving that painful day. 

“Oh.. I...I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to..” You trailed off, unable to finish your sentence. 

“It’s fine,” Bucky shook his head and met your eyes once more. “Hey, do you like Uno? Maybe we could play. I try to play with Sam but he either cheats or gives up,” He smirked, and you chuckled. His eyes regained the sparkle in them as the cloudiness vanished.

“Sure, I love Uno,” you responded, and he got up from his chair and disappeared down the hall. He came back a few minutes later with the card game in his hands. 

The two of you played Uno for several hours, laughing and talking. Occasionally, Sam came in and joined you two and joked around for a few minutes at a time.

You had a lot of fun that evening, the most fun you had had in a long time. You felt a special bond with these two guys that made it feel like you had known them forever. 


	3. Lesson 101

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky finally gives you that shooting lesson he promised.

It was about a month after your near-death experience when you first met Bucky. The two of you hung out a lot after that first day, getting to know each other. He told you about his time during World War II, his fall from the train, and some of his adventures with the Avengers, but he wouldn’t tell you much of what happened in between that. Whenever he would start to mention it, you could see in his eyes that they were painful memories, so you never pressed him too much about it. You had learned a lot about him and you two became close, but you couldn’t help but feel like there was still a lot missing from his story. Even so, you kinda liked this shadowed history vibe he had. You thought he had such a complex, mysterious, broken character. When you peeled back one layer of his personality, it seemed there was always another one right underneath. 

Now, you were excited to finally get the promised rifle lesson from him. As the two of you were walking side by side through the woods, he explained how to shoot a rifle sniper style. You took it all in: the cute way his lips curled when he smiled, his expressive blue-gray eyes, the swagger in his step, and, yes, his explanation of how to shoot a gun. 

“It’s so peaceful out here.” 

You smiled as you stopped to listen and look around. The leaves on the ground and in the trees were crisp yellow, orange, and red. You could hear the birds twittering as they flew above the treetops and from somewhere in the distance, you could hear murmur of a running brook. It was quiet compared to the city life; there were no cars honking or engines roaring, no one yelling or talking, or loud, obnoxious music blaring. It was calming and quiet here with the occasional sounds of nature to accompany it. 

“Mmhmm, yeah it is.” Bucky took a deep breath and glanced around. “When I was younger, I used to come out here, whenever I needed to think or clear my head, or just needed a break." Bucky broke into a smile. “This was my happy place essentially, as my friend called it,” he chuckled, then started to walk again. “Alright, well, let’s keep going, don’t wanna burn daylight.” That signature smirky grin of his tugged at his lips once more. 

You walked together for a little bit longer before Bucky stopped at a small ridge. 

“This seems like a good spot,” he said as he slung the rifle off his back and sat it on the ground, setting up the sniper stand. He pulled some small orange circular disks out of his pocket and walked a couple yards away. He set them up on a fallen log. 

“Alright, these are for you to shoot at, okay?” He gestured to the disks. You nodded in reply as he joined you back on the ridge. “Okay (Y/n), show me what you got.” He gestured to the gun on the ground. You nodded and laid down on the ground, taking up a sniper position, just like Bucky had explained. You clamped your hands around the cold metal of the gun and focused on your target. You pulled the trigger, and a  _ bang  _ rang out in the forest. 

“Not bad, but you missed the disk,” Bucky said, pointing to the tree that now had a bullet hole through it. “Here let me show you, there's a trick to aiming.” 

Bucky laid down on the ground beside you, casually leaning his body against yours. You could feel the warmth from his body contradicting the cold from the ground underneath you. The crisp forest air mixed with the smell of Bucky’s sweat and cologne. You leaned into his body as his arm reached around your shoulders, and his hands clamped around yours on the gun. 

He helped you position the rifle the right way. “See? Like this, now you should be able to hit the disk.” He looked at you, a flirty grin playing at his lips. His eyes sparkled as they bore into your (e/c) ones. You could feel his soft breath on your face and realized just how close you were to him. Bucky seemed to realize it too, but neither of you backed away. Instead, you filled the space. 

Bucky barely had to move to gently place his soft lips on yours in a slow, sweet kiss. You closed your eyes, savoring his touch, melting into it. You were sure it only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like forever. You felt Bucky slowly back away, and you opened your eyes. 

His blue gray eyes held many different emotions. They had that characteristic flirty look in them mostly, mixed with a hint of sadness and longing, and a smidge of satisfaction.

“I...I didn’t know you shoot a gun like that,” you whispered, breathless. 

Bucky smirked, that flirty sparkle flooding back into his eyes. 

“Lesson 101,” he answered as he ran a hand through his hair. 

“You’re adorable,” you said, murmuring your thoughts aloud. 

“Oh, don’t I know it,” he replied, winking. “Now, pull the rifle back against your shoulder, there ya go. Now ready, aim, and fire.” 

You rested your finger on the trigger, and another  _ bang  _ filled the forest. One of the orange disks collapsed off the tree trunk. 

“Hey, good job! I knew you could do it.” Bucky gave you that flirty look once more. He stood to his feet and offered you his hand. You grabbed it and stood up, and he pulled you forward against him, gazing down into your eyes. Your heart began to pound rapidly again as you looked up into his emotional blue-gray eyes. Before you could react, he tenderly planted a kiss on your forehead. 

“Y'all are so sweet together,” a voice said behind you. You and Bucky whirled around to see Sam leaning against a tree, a crooked grin spread on his face. “Gosh Buck, I guess I underestimated you. Ya may be ugly, but you got charm.” 

“Wilson! Did you follow us into the woods or something? Dude, really? How long have you been standing there!?” Bucky sounded annoyed as he rolled his eyes. 

Sam pulled out his phone and grinned. 

“Too bad Steve’s not here so I can’t send him this,” Sam replied, flashing you a picture of you and Bucky kissing. Your cheeks flushed in embarrassment as Bucky pulled his arm from your shoulder and stalked toward Sam, his metal arm curling threateningly into a fist.

“Wilson, I swear, if you don’t-” 

With a sudden flash of inspiration, you smirked to yourself as you spun around and picked up the gun that was on the ground. You turned and looked at Sam with a smug look on your face. As soon as he saw you with the rifle in hand, he gasped and dropped his phone, shooting his hands in the air. 

“Barnes! Get yo girl! She got a gun!” he hollered, his eyes twinkling. 

“It’s okay, Wilson, the little girl don’t bite.”

Bucky bent down and swiped the phone from the ground. You peeked over his shoulder at the photo on the screen. 

“Aw, we actually look kinda cute there.” You smiled down at the picture. Bucky glanced back at you. 

“Yeah, I agree. Unlike single Wilson over here,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I might just send this one to myself and then permanently delete it from Mr. Birdbrain’s phone.”

He pulled up contacts on Sam’s phone, scrolling for his name. 

“I’m assuming my name is ‘Idiot Metal Boy’,” he commented dryly. Sam raised an eyebrow. 

“Now what would give you an idea like that?” Sam responded. You looked from Sam to Bucky, and back again, amazed that they could have such comradery and yet bicker worse than lifelong enemies.

“You guys are such great friends,” you said. “Bucky, I guess this shooting practice is over for the day?” 

Bucky glanced back at you from Sam’s phone. 

“I mean, if Birdbrain leaves, I might give you another lesson 101 again.” 

You felt your cheeks flush bright crimson again. 

“As helpful as it was, I think I learned that one well enough for today,” you responded. “Maybe another day,” Out of the corner of your eye, you saw Sam shaking with silent laughter. “I’ll see you two guys later.” 

“I’m not sure you’ll see this joker later,” Bucky responded, glaring at Sam. The last thing you saw as you headed back down the path was Bucky slamming Sam against a tree. You grinned and shook your head, turning back to the path.


	4. Sweet as Sugar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Bucky bake cookies together

“Okay, I think I have everything,” you said as you layed out your ingredients to make chocolate chip cookies on the counter. You were at Bucky’s apartment and had decided to hang out and make cookies, but since both Sam and Bucky apparently didn’t like shopping, you had to bring all the ingredients yourself. Bucky leaned over your shoulder and glanced over the counter. 

“Mm, yeah I think so too, but let me check.” He grabbed his phone off the counter and turned it on. You noticed the background on his phone was the picture that Sam took in the woods from a couple days ago, and you felt your cheeks warm. Bucky brought up the recipe and scrolled through the ingredients list. 

“Yep, we got everything.” He threw a glance in your direction with a smile as he sat his phone back on the counter.

“Are the cookies done yet?” Sam stepped into the small kitchen glancing around. You noticed he had a black eye...which you assumed he got from Bucky. You chuckled as you imagined how that fight in the woods probably turned out: Sam spitting out some witty phrase trying to save his hide, and Bucky responding with an even smarter reply and then continuing to punch him. 

“Oh, did the Idiot Metal Boy give you a present?” You gestured to Sam’s black eye with a grin. 

“Complete with a pretty little ribbon,” Bucky added with a smug smile. Sam rolled his eyes. 

“How sweet of him,” You smirked in Sam’s direction. 

“Oh, ahaha, you guys are  _ so  _ funny,” he said sarcastically, tenderly touching his eye. “Whatever, tell me when the cookies are done...if you don’t burn them all,” He turned on his heel and left you and Bucky in the kitchen alone. 

“Well, let’s burn all of them,” Bucky muttered sarcastically as he grabbed a bowl from the cabinet. You watched him as he grabbed utensils from different areas in the kitchen. Your thoughts went back to when you first met him and jumped through to now. 

You had really gotten to know this Bucky guy and seen many different shades of him. He could be funny, sweet, kind, confident, tender, and romantic-- but he could also be sad, empty, protective, insecure, and nervous. Even though you had only known him a little while, you felt like you’ve been with him your whole life. You felt a smile creeping at the corners of your lips as Bucky turned and looked down at you. 

“What?” He grinned back at you as he took a step closer. You met his soft blue-gray eyes as they bore into your own (e/c) ones. 

“You’re just… amazing, is all,” you spoke just above a whisper. Bucky took another step closer to you, and you felt his strong arm wrap around your waist, pulling you closer to him, his eyes never leaving yours. 

“Speak for yourself, darling,” He grinned that special grin of his, and you felt your cheeks warm and your heart melt. 

“KISS!" Sam yelled from where he peeked back into the kitchen. Bucky glanced over where Sam stood and grinned.

"Alrighty then," Bucky quickly turned his attention back to you. His metal arm encircled the back of your head and pushed you close enough so he could plant his lips on yours. You leaned into his body and melted into the kiss. 

“AWWW THEY’RE SO CUTE!” Sam squealed in a high-pitch voice. “Gosh, you guys make me sick.” 

“You’re just jealous, Birdbrain,” Bucky responded, still looking into your eyes. “Go away and let us bake cookies in peace.” 

“I like baking cookies with you,” you smiled at him as Sam left the room once more, rolling his eyes. “But maybe we could actually bake the cookies today?” You grinned as you hesitantly broke from his embrace. He made a pouty face as you stepped back from him. You chuckled at his reaction and started measuring out ingredients. 

“You really are adorable,” you said as you dumped a cup of flour into the bowl with a smile on your face. Bucky started to crack some eggs into the bowl, leaning against you. 

“AWWWW LOOK AT THEM MAKING COOKIES, ALL CUTE AND FLUFFY!” 

You heard Sam at the doorway once again, and Bucky glared at him. 

“I swear, Wilson,” Bucky lifted an egg and gestured it in Sam’s direction. “If you come back in here  _ one  _ more time, I  _ will  _ throw an egg at you. Go work on that overgrown jet pack of yours or something.” You heard Sam chuckle as he disappeared from the doorway. 

Bucky shook his head in disgust as he went back to prepping ingredients. “Ya know, when I was younger, my Mama used to bake me chocolate chip cookies whenever my friend and I needed a sweet treat. She would give us a glass of milk and three cookies, and we would sit outside on the back porch and watch the birds fly around if it was a sunny day, or we would watch the rain fall if it was rainy.” Bucky smiled as he relived the memory. You stirred the ingredients together in the bowl while you listened to his story. 

“Aww, that’s really sweet Bucky, it sounds like you had a really nice family and friend.” You flashed a smile at him. Bucky nodded. “Yeah, yeah I did.” He grinned softly as he spoke, his eyes momentarily distant and far away. He dipped his index finger in the dough. “They would’ve loved you,” he said as he wiped the dough on your nose with a smirk. “Oh, look how pretty you are.” He chuckled while you smiled. 

_ Gosh, he is just way too cute.  _

“AWW, HOW SWEET!” You saw Sam peek back into the kitchen, and Bucky turned on his heel. With agility you hadn't seen before, he quickly grabbed an egg from the carton on the counter and launched it at Sam. It hit him in the chest and exploded with egg white all over his shirt. Sam looked back up at Bucky in shock.

“I wasn’t kidding, Wilson,” Bucky had a smug grin on his face as he turned back at you. “But, in all honesty, he’s not wrong.” He smirked at you casually licked the dough off your nose. 

"Very,  _ very _ sweet indeed."

“Oh my gosh, you guys.” You rolled your eyes as a smile etched across your lips.


	5. The Calm Before The Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You and Bucky hear a strange radio feedback on the scanner.

It was another day of hanging out at Sam and Bucky’s apartment. You really enjoyed coming here, not only just to hang out with Sam and Bucky, but for a reason you couldn’t completely explain; it just felt safe. You were watching tv on the couch in the living room by yourself while Bucky was in the kitchen listening to the radio scanner, waiting for when someone possibly needed help-- like you had on that day he saved you. 

You heard Sam walk out of his bedroom and into the living room, pausing by the kitchen.

“Alright kiddos, I’ll be back soon. I gotta go to the store so we have more than just milk." Sam rolled his eyes and groaned. “Barnes, keep it PG.” Sam winked at Bucky in the kitchen then looked at you and walked forward. “(Y/n), make sure he doesn’t do anything stupid.” Sam spoke above a whisper so Bucky couldn’t hear. He gave you a wink before heading out the door. 

“Gosh, are you two always this bickery?” You asked Bucky from the other room. Bucky sighed. “Yep,” He replied. “See, the first time we met, I may or may not have tried to kill him…” Bucky trailed off, then you heard him take a breath. “Wasn’t really my fault though, but I honestly can’t blame the guy for hating me.” Even though you couldn't see him, you could imagine that he shrugged after he finished his sentence in classic Bucky style.

“Ah, I see.” You nodded to yourself as you watched the tv screen in front of you flicker as you flipped through the channels. 

_ The News, I Love Lucy, Disney Channel, some animal planet documentaries.  _

__

The two of you sat in the apartment for a few minutes in silence, except for the hum of the tv in the background and the occasional sound of the radio breaking through. After you gave up looking for a good channel, you pulled out your phone and played a game for a few more minutes. You could hear Bucky shuffling around in the kitchen, probably getting a drink or a snack. You weren’t really listening to the crackling radio until a strange voice started speaking through it. Perking up your ears, you realized Bucky must have thought it was strange too, because you heard him stop walking around to listen to it. 

_ “Hello, this… This is...”  _ The voice sounded crackly, and the radio kept going in and out, breaking up its words. 

_ “This is.. Calm...storm…this is...-dra."  _

You glanced over at the kitchen.

_ What is that? _

_ “This…the.. -alm….is… -dra,” _

You got off the couch and slowly crept into the kitchen where Bucky was staring at the radio on the counter with a confused look. He glanced at you from the corner of his eye, and must have noticed your confusion, because upon seeing you, he shook his head as if to say “I don’t know."

“ _ ”This…is. Ca-,.... the storm.”  _ Bucky and you shared a glance before the next and last sentence came through the radio, clear as day. 

_ “This is the calm before the storm, hail Hydra.”  _

As the evil-sounding voice finished speaking, the radio went silent. You noticed Bucky’s eyes had widened, and his face was clouded over with a look of pain. Then, he looked at you. 

“Go hide (Y/n)! Now!” You weren’t sure what was going on or why you had to hide, but Bucky’s voice held a fearful and urgent tone that you had never heard before. You did what he said and ran down the hall and turned into one of the bedrooms. As you reached the room, you heard pounding footsteps in the hallway and the crash of glass breaking as you assumed someone was breaking in the windows. You felt your heart pounding rapidly in your chest as you slammed the door closed. Leaning against the door, you listened to the sounds of destruction from the other side. You heard people yelling, furniture being broken, and glass being shattered. Someone who sounded like Bucky cried out in pain, and your heart flipped a beat. You didn’t even realize you were crying until a tear dropped from your face onto your hand. 

_ Oh no, no, no. _

Your chest began to clamp up and breathing became harder as you set into a panic. The thoughts in your head were going a million miles a minute, wondering if Bucky was okay, what was happening, who was out there, and  _ where the heck was Sam when you needed him.  _

Your thoughts were interrupted by glass shattering in front of you from the only window in the room. You glanced around but didn’t see what had broken it. But then the room started filling with smoke and your vision started to pepper with blacks dots. Your legs became weak, and you slumped to the ground. The sounds of destruction seemed so far away now. You felt a wave of tiredness sweep over you and, as you lost your grip on reality, you decided to just let the darkness take you. 


	6. The Dark Alley

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You find Bucky alone in an alleyway after the two of you were taken by Hydra
> 
> (I'll be honest, and warning, this one stings a bit :') )

** (Bucky's P.O.V) **

_Ohhh my head…_

Bucky heard voices and the sounds of people shuffling around the room and felt cold, metal chains binding his hands to a chair. His head hurt and throbbed, and he assumed he was probably knocked out from the raid on his apartment. 

Bucky's eyes slowly fluttered open and adjusted to the dim light. He glanced around, trying to shake the fog from his brain and get his surroundings. He was in a small, concrete room, bound to a metal chair, with two people a couple of yards away, writing on clipboards and quietly chatting. They gave an occasional glance in Bucky’s direction and would talk some more. There was a small metal door to Bucky’s left, and some various techy equipment scattered around the room. 

_Oh no..._

Bucky knew this place all too well, and he had hoped he would never be back here. He was back at the Hydra base where they had brainwashed and tortured him for years. When the realization hit him, he felt the panic set in. His chest began to feel tight, and his heart began to rapidly pound. 

“No, no, no,” he murmured, shaking his head, hoping maybe this was all just a dream, no, it was a nightmare, and he just needed to wake up from it. As his panic rose, he came to the sudden realization that this was not a dream: he was indeed living his worst nightmare. 

“NO!” He tried to break out of his bonds with no success, not realizing he alerted the Hydra agents that were taking notes. 

He noticed that one ran over to him, scribbled a couple of notes, then watched him as he struggled to catch his breath. The agent had an evil smirk across his face as he opened his mouth to speak. 

“Oh good, you’re awake. Now we can begin,” The agent smirked. “Longing, rusted...” The agent began to recite the words Bucky dreaded hearing. His Bucky’s mind began to conflict itself, fighting the words the Hydra agent spoke. 

“NO!” Bucky tried once again to break his bonds. He managed to loosen them, but not enough that he could get out. 

“Seventeen, daybreak...” 

“NOOO! STOOOOP!”

“Furnace, nine…”

~¥~

**(Your P.O.V)**

You jerked awake to the sound of a scream. Your eyes flashed open, and you took in your surroundings. It looked like you were underground because the room was made of concrete. There was a table a couple of feet away from you with a couple of papers and clipboards on it. There was an older girl and a guy standing a couple of yards away who looked like some scientists or something. They had a funny-looking logo on their shoulders, and, after you stared at it for a moment, you realized that you recognized it.

_Hydra_. 

You didn’t know much about Hydra, but you knew they weren’t good. You knew you needed to get out of here somehow and silently started to struggle with the rope that bound your hands to the chair. Finding the first knot, you began to pick at it, closing your eyes to concentrate. It soon came undone. You started on the next knot and were almost through the ropes when the room started flashing red, and a loud horn started blaring. 

“It’s the Winter Soldier,” one of the agents murmured to the other, glancing at his glowing watch. “They need assistance, and they want both of us,” 

“What about her?” The other scientist nodded in your direction, and you went limp, pretending that you were still knocked out. 

“She’ll be fine; she’s still asleep and tied up. I don’t think she’ll go anywhere,” The first agent murmured in reply. The other agent seemed satisfied with that answer as he shrugged his shoulders.

You peeked an eye open as the Hydra agents quickly ran out of the room, leaving you alone. You quickly undid the rest of your bonds and stood up, but your knees buckled as a wave of dizziness passed over you, causing you to fall back into the chair. You took a deep breath and stood up again. This time you were successful and tiptoed to the doorway. 

_It’s the Winter Soldier._

The agent’s words repeated themselves in your mind. What did they mean? Was _he_ here? Was Bucky here? If he was, you knew you had to find him. You peeked around the doorway and down the hallway, and when you knew no one was around, you crept out of the room. You followed the hallway a short distance until the concrete walls turned to brick. You stopped and looked around. You noticed that the floor had started to incline upwards. 

_This must be going up, maybe a way out._

You took a few steps before you stopped again. _But what about Bucky?_ You looked back toward the way you came. The sounds of agents shuffling, yelling, talking, and walking echoed through the halls. And then you heard an ear-piercing scream from down the hall, almost tearing your heart to shreds. 

_Bucky?_

Before you could decide on it, you heard a troop of agents coming down the hall. Without thinking, you turned on your heel and ran up the incline. You bowled through a pair of doors marked with a traditional glowing green EXIT sign and came out into a sort of abandoned warehouse. You ran for the nearest door. Then, you stopped dead in your tracks. For a minute, you contemplated running back into the tunnel to find Bucky. Remembering all the agents, you knew you weren’t any match for them. No, you needed help. You needed to find Sam, and he could help. Yeah, that’s what you needed to do. You quickly patted yourself down, checking to see if you still had your phone, or if Hydra confiscated it. You breathed a sigh of relief as you felt it in your pocket. Slipping it out of your pocket, you dialed Sam’s number as you ran for the door and pushed it open. Outside, it was dark, and you made for the nearest line of trees as a line of cover. Any moment now, the scientists would return and find you had gone. 

“Hello? (Y/n)? Where are you guys? I’ve been searching everywhere for you and Bucky.” You heard Sam’s voice on the other end of the phone. “I went back to the apartment, and it was a mess, and you guys weren’t there so I-"

“Sam, listen,” You interrupted his rambling and took a breath before you continued. “I.. don’t know where we are, but I think we’re at a Hydra base and-" you heard a short gasp on the other end of the phone, and Sam interrupted you. 

“Hydra? Oh no, no, (Y/n), where is Bucky? Is he with you? Where is he? Have they said the words? Is he okay? Are you okay? Did they hurt you? Did they hurt him?” Sam peppered you with questions you wish you knew the answer to. You felt a swell of emotions deep inside you as tears filled your eyes. 

“Sam, I...I don’t know... I’m okay, I escaped, but I didn’t find Bucky.” You took a deep breath, trying to calm the panic that was rising in your voice. 

“Okay, it’s okay, just listen,” Sam must have picked up on your nervousness and fear because his voice changed from urgent to soft and calming. “Okay, look around. What do you see?” 

You looked around and observed your surroundings as Sam said. You saw a forest of trees to your right, but to your left, the city buildings began. It looked like you were on the edge of the city. “Uh, I see some trees and buildings, next to a big warehouse,” You murmured into the phone. 

“Okay, do you know what kind of trees?” Sam replied. You focused on a few of the trees that were close to you, most of them were tall with different green shaded pine needles. “Um, pine trees. A lot of them. They’re all different though,” You answered. There was a short silence on the phone before Sam talked again. 

“Okay, I think I know where you are,” he replied and you felt a small grin on your lips, despite your tears. You heard a _beep_ in your ear and looked at your phone. “Oh no, Sam, my phone is dying,” you said, the grin disappearing from your face. His calming voice crackled through the phone again. 

“Hey, it’s okay. Just stay there, and I’ll be there soon. I should be able to track you through your phone,” Sam spoke calmly. You nodded to yourself. “Okay, okay.” 

“Hey, I’m gonna hang up now, alright? But save your phone battery as much as you can,” Sam said. 

“Yeah, okay, thanks, Sam. See you soon, bye.” You hung up the phone and slipped it in your pocket. Another wave of fear washed over you as you stood in the shadows of the surrounding trees. You suddenly heard commotion coming from the distant trees. You heard a scream and what sounded like someone running through the woods. You saw them break through the line of trees a couple of yards away, running to a nearby ally. You managed to get a glimpse of the character before they disappeared behind the wall. Tall, broad shoulders, short hair…. and a metal arm that glistened in the dim moonlight. 

_Bucky?_

You ran to catch up with the figure and neared the alleyway. You glanced around the alley and slowly walked down. You could hear someone whimpering and muttering under their breath. You walked a little more and you saw the figure sitting up against a wall. 

_Bucky._

You felt a wave of relief wash over you when you laid eyes on him. But you saw the state he was in, and you knew it wasn’t good. He was shaking hard and you could hear his rapid breathing, almost hyperventilating, along with him muttering things under his breath. You were scared for him, but knew you had to stay calm if you had any hope of helping him. 

“Bucky.” 

You walked over and kneeled to the ground in front of him. His blue-gray eyes were darting back and forth, and he had a black mask over his nose and mouth. 

“Bucky,” You said again, but he didn’t even seem to hear you. Instead, he violently shook his head. 

“Get out! GET OUT!” His eyes filled with tears, and even though you knew he wasn’t talking to you, his words hurt. Your heart ached for him. “Get out of my head!” 

You had never seen him so broken and tired, his eyes were glazed over and clouded. It was like he was someone else. The once cool and confident guy you knew was sitting in a dark alleyway, a broken mess, struggling to find himself. 

“Bucky, Bucky, listen to me.” 

Placing your hand under his chin, you lifted his head up to look at you. His eyes stared at you but didn’t focus.

“Listen to me, Bucky, okay?”

You brought up your other hand and ran it through his brown hair. He gradually stopped shaking, calmed by your touch. 

“Bucky... come back to me, Bucky,” You soothingly whispered to him, gently running your hand through his hair. You kept whispering to him, and his breathing slowed. You carefully removed his mask from his face and threw it off to the side. 

“It’s okay, you’re alright now, Bucky, I’m here,” you whispered to him, keeping eye contact with him until he slowly started to become himself again. You moved your hand from his hair down to his cheek and gently wiped a tear away with your thumb as it fell. 

“Hey, it’s okay, Bucky, I’m here now, it’s okay.” His eyes started to focus on you, and his breathing gradually went back to normal. He tiredly tried to give you a grin, silently telling you he recognized you. 

Instead of smiling back, you planted your lips on his, running your hand through his hair. You felt his hand on your back, pulling you in closer onto his lap. You leaned into his body and melted into his warmth. He gave you a slow and sweet kiss, and you savored his soft touch on your mouth. You finally backed away and met his blue-gray, tear-stained eyes. They were completely in focus now, and no longer clouded over. They were bloodshot and tired, but they had his usual spark back in them. 

Bucky flashed his signature smirky grin at you, though he looked exhausted and worn. 

“I… I love you,” He whispered breathlessly as he stared into your eyes. You smiled at him and cocked your head. 

“I love you too, metal boy,” You smirked back at him as you ran your fingers through his hair, and he leaned into your touch. “You alright?”

Bucky looked away and scrunched his eyes closed. “Mmhmm, yeah. That’s just…. just… it’s just bad memories…” His voice sounded pained, and your heart flipped for him. 

“Hey, hey, are you guys okay?!” You whipped your head around and saw Sam, with his wings out as if he just landed, at the end of the ally. You nodded as he walked over to you and Bucky, as his wings folded back up in his pack. “Yeah, we’re alright,” you said as you looked back at Bucky. “We’re alright.” 

“Okay, okay, stop making me sick then. I’m glad you guys are alright, but you don’t gotta do all that lovey-dovey heart eyes and stuff,” Sam rolled his eyes despite the smile playing on his lips. “Do I wanna know what happened here between you two?”

You gently stood up, but Bucky didn’t follow. “It’s okay, you regain your strength.” You flashed him an understanding smile, and he laid his head back against the wall and closed his eyes for a minute. You then looked at Sam and pulled him off to the side.

“He, um, had a rough couple minutes back there. I… I don’t know what happened there… but when he came out of that warehouse, he wasn’t himself,” you whispered to Sam, so Bucky couldn’t hear you. Sam nodded like he understood exactly what you meant. 

“Mm, yeah. I think I know what happened,” Sam replied. You cocked your head. “Oh yeah? What happened then?” you curiously asked, wanting to know what Sam’s answer would be, wanting to know what had happened to your Bucky. Sam shook his head. 

“No, no. That’s for him to tell you. When he’s ready.” 


End file.
